Separation of 2-methyl-1-propanol from 1-butanol by extractive distillation

ABSTRACT

2-Methyl-1-propanol is difficult to separate from 1-butanol by conventional distillation or rectification because of the proximity of their boiling points. 2-Methyl-1-propanol can be readily separated from 1-butanol by extractive distillation. Effective agents are ethyl benzene, amyl acetate and propoxypropanol.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a method for separating 2-methyl-1-propanol from 1-butanol using certain organic compounds as the agent in extractive distillation.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART

Extractive distillation is the method of separating close boiling compounds from each other by carrying out the distillation in a multiplate rectification column in the presence of an added liquid or liquid mixture, said liquid(s) having a boiling point higher than the compounds being separated. The extractive agent is introduced near the top of the column and flows downward until it reaches the stillpot or reboiler. Its presence on each plate of the rectification column alters the relative volatility of the close boiling compounds in a direction to make the separation on each plate greater and thus require either fewer plates to effect the same separation or make possible a greater degree of separation with the same number of plates. The extractive agent should boil higher than any of the close boiling liquids being separated and not form minimum azeotropes with them. Usually the extractive agent is introduced a few plates from the top of the column to insure that none of the extractive agent is carried over with the lowest boiling component. This usually requires that the extractive agent boil about twenty Celcius degrees or more higher than the highest boiling component.

At the bottom of a continuous column, the less volatile components of the close boiling mixtures and the extractive agent are continuously removed from the column. The usual methods of separation of these two components are the use of another rectification column, cooling and phase separation, or solvent extraction.

The usual method of evaluating the effectiveness of extractive distillation agents is the change in relative volatility of the compounds to be separated. Table 1 shows the degree of separation or purity obtainable by theoretical plates at several relative volatilities. Table 1 shows that a relative volatility of at least 1.2 is required to get an effective separation by rectification.

                  TABLE 1                                                          ______________________________________                                         Effect of Relative Volatility on Theoretical Stage Requirements.               Separation Purity,                                                                        Relative Volatility                                                 Both Products                                                                             10.2   1.1    1.2  1.3  1.4  1.5  2.0 3.0                           (Mole Fraction)                                                                           Theoretical Stages at Total Reflux                                  ______________________________________                                         0.999      697    144    75   52   40   33   19  12                            0.995      534    110    57   39   30   25   14  9                             0.990      463    95     49   34   26   22   12  7                             0.98       392    81     42   29   22   18   10  6                             0.95       296    61     31   21   16   14   8   4                             0.90       221    45     23   16   12   10   5   3                             ______________________________________                                    

2-Methyl-1-propanol and 1-butanol boil ten degrees apart and have a relative volatility of 1.2 and are difficult to separate by conventional rectification. Table 2 shows that to get 99% purity, 65 actual plates are required. With an agent giving a relative volatility 2.0, only sixteen actual plates are required.

                  TABLE 2                                                          ______________________________________                                         Theoretical and Actual plates Required vs. Relative                            Volatility For 2-Methyl-1-propanol-1-Butanol Separation                        Relative                                                                              Theoretical Plates Required                                                                       Actual Plates                                        Volatility                                                                            At Total Reflux, 99% Purity                                                                       Required, 75% Eff.                                   ______________________________________                                         1.2    49                 65                                                   1.5    22                 30                                                   2.0    12                 16                                                   ______________________________________                                    

OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION

The object of this invention is to provide a process or method of extractive distillation that will enhance the relative volatility of 2-methyl-1-propanol to 1-butanol in their separation in a rectification column. It is a further object of this invention to identify effective extractive distillation agents that are stable and can be recycled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objects of this invention are provided by a process for the separation of 2-methyl-1-propanol from 1-butanol which entails the use of certain organic compounds when employed as the agent in extractive distillation.

                  TABLE 3                                                          ______________________________________                                         Effective Extractive Distillation Agents For Separating                        2-Methyl-1-propanol From 1-Butanol                                                                   Relative                                                 Compounds             Volatility                                               ______________________________________                                         None                  1.2                                                      Butyl benzoate        1.4                                                      Hexyl formate         1.4                                                      2-Heptanone           1.35                                                     Triacetin             1.4                                                      Amyl acetate          2.0                                                      Isobornyl acetate     1.4                                                      2-Butoxyethyl acetate 1.4                                                      Hexyl acetate         1.75                                                     n-Butyl propionate    1.55                                                     Propylene carbonate   1.4                                                      Propyl butyrate       2.0                                                      Butyl lactate         1.45                                                     Dibutyl phthalate     1.45                                                     Tridecyl phthalate    1.4                                                      Ethyl salicylate      1.4                                                      Cyclopentanone        1.45                                                     2-Octanone            1.4                                                      Acetophenone          1.45                                                     Propiophenone         1.4                                                      4-Hydroxy-4-methyl-2-pentanone                                                                       1.45                                                     3- Pentanone          1.7                                                      4-Methyl-2-pentanone  1.5                                                      2-Undecanone          1.4                                                      3-Carene              1.4                                                      Diethylene glycol methyl ether                                                                       1.4                                                      2-Methoxyethanol      1.5                                                      Propoxypropanol       1.8                                                      Ethyl benzene         1.8                                                      p-Xylene              1.6                                                      o-Xylene              1.4                                                      Alpha-Pinene          1.45                                                     Dipentene             1.45                                                     Cumene                1.45                                                     o-Diethyl benzene     1.75                                                     Tetrahydrol napthalene                                                                               1.5                                                      Tetraethyl ortho silicate                                                                            1.45                                                     2-Methoxyethyl ether  1.4                                                      Propylene glycol methyl ether                                                                        1.7                                                      1-Methoxy-2-propanol  1.65                                                     Diethylene glycol methyl ether                                                                       1.7                                                      Butyl ether           1.55                                                     Benzyl ether          1.6                                                      Anisole               1.45                                                     Dioxolane             1.55                                                     Methyl ethylketoxime  1.4                                                      Hexamethylene imine   1.4                                                      Butyraldehyde oxime   1.5                                                      Methyl isobutyl ketoxime                                                                             1.4                                                      o-Cresol              1.45                                                     Phenol                1.45                                                     Butyronitrile         1.45                                                     3-Ethyl phenol        1.4                                                      m-Cresol              1.4                                                      p-Cresol              1.4                                                      Nonyl phenol          1.4                                                      1,4-Butanediol        1.45                                                     Glycerol              1.45                                                     Dimethylformamide     1.4                                                      N.N-Dimethylacetamide 1.4                                                      Polyethylene glycol 300                                                                              1.4                                                  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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

I have discovered that certain organic compounds will effectively increase the relative volatility between 2methyl-1-propanol and 1-butanol during rectification when employed as the agent in extractive distillation. Table 3 summarizes the data obtained with these agents. The agents which are effective are butyl benzoate, hexyl formate, 2-heptanone, triacetin, amyl acetate, isobornyl acetate, 2-butoxyethyl acetate, hexyl acetate, n-butyl propionate, propylene carbonate, propyl butyrate, butyl lactate, dibutyl phthalate, tridecyl phthalate, ethyl salicylate, cyclopentanone, 2-octanone, acetophenone, propiophenone, 4-hydroxy-4-methyl-2-pentanone, 3-pentanone, 4-methyl-2-pentanone, 2-undecanone,2-methoxyethanol, diethylene glycol methyl ether, propoxypropanol, ethyl benzene, p-xylene, o-xylene, 3-carene, alpha-pinene, dipentene, cumene, o-diethyl-benzene, tetrahydro napthalene, tetraethyl ortho silicate, 2-methoxyethyl ether, propylene glycol methyl ether, 1-methoxy-2-propanol, diethylene glycol methyl ether, butyl ether, benzyl ether, anisole, dioxolane, methyl ethyl ketoxime, hexamethylene imine, butyraldehyde oxime, methyl isobutyl ketoxime, o-cresol, phenol, butyronitrile, 3-ethyl phenol, m-cresol, p-cresol, nonyl phenol, 1,4-butanediol, glycerol, dimethylformamide, N,N-dimethyl-acetamide and polyethylene glycol 300.

THE USEFULNESS OF THE INVENTION

The usefulness or utility of this invention can be demonstrated by referring to the data presented in Tables 1,2 and 3. All of the successful agents show that 2-methyl-1-propanol can be separated from 1-butanol by means of extractive distillation and that the ease of separation is considerable.

WORKING EXAMPLE

Example 1: Fifty grams of 2-methyl-1-propanol - 1-butanol mixture and fifty grams of ethyl benzene as the extractive distillation agent were charged to a vapor-liquid equilibrium still and refluxed for four hours. The vapor composition was 66.7% 2-methyl-1-propanol and 33.3% 1-butanol; the liquid composition was 52.4% 2-methyl-1-propanol, 47.6% 1-butanol. This is a relative volatility of 1.8. 

I claim:
 1. A method for recovering 2-methyl-1-propanol from a mixture consisting of 2-methyl-1-propanol and 1-butanol which consists essentially of distilling said mixture consisting of 2-methyl-1-propanol and 1-butanol in the presence of an extractive distillation agent, recovering the 2-methyl-1-propanol as overhead product and obtaining the 1-butanol and the extractive distillation agent as bottoms product, wherein said extractive distillation agent consists of one material selected from the group consisting of butyl benzoate, hexyl formate, 2-heptanone, triacetin, amyl acetate, isobornyl acetate, 2-butoxyethyl acetate, hexyl acetate, n-butyl propionate, propylene carbonate, propyl butyrate, butyl lactate, dibutyl phthalate, tridecyl phthalate, ethyl salicylate, cyclopentanone, 2-octanone, acetophenone, propiophenone, 4-hydroxy-4-methyl-2-pentanone, 3-pentanone, 4-methyl-2-pentanone, 2-undecanone, 2-methoxyethanol, diethylene glycol methyl ether, dioxolane, propoxypropanol, ethyl benzene, p-xylene, o-xylene, 3-carene, alpha-pinene, dipentene, cumene, o-diethylbenzene, tetrahydro naphthalene, tetraethyl ortho silicate, 2-methoxyethyl ether, propylene glycol methyl ether, 1-methoxy-2-propanol, diethylene glycol methyl ether, butyl ether, benzyl ether, anisole, methyl ethyl ketoxime, hexamethylene imine, butyraldehyde oxime, methyl isobutyl ketoxime, o-cresol, phenol, butyronitrile, 3-ethyl phenol, m-cresol, nonyl phenol, 1,4-butanediol, glycerol, dimethylformamide, N,N-dimethylacetamide, polyethylene glycol 300 and p-cresol. 